Victims of Concow fatal identified

What remains of a white 1999 Ford F250 pickup Thursday lies about 800 feet from the edge of Concow Road where it went off and rolled down into the canyon Wednesday afternoon. All four occupants were ejected from the vehicle and two were killed in the accident.

CONCOW — The victims of a fatal Concow accident that occurred Wednesday were identified at Tyler Lloyd Matlock, 24, of Modesto, and Kara Maurine Hanson, 39, of Oroville, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Both had been ejected from a truck driven by Charles Robert Taylor, 19, of Chico. Driving down a narrow dirt portion of Concow Road, the truck went off the road and crashed 100 yards down a ravine about 3:30 p.m.

Matlock, who had multiple broken bones, was declared dead at the scene, and Hanson, who had internal bleeding, died before she could be removed from the canyon, the report indicated.

Taylor, and another passenger, Samuel Montgomery, 19, also of Chico, were both ejected, but were able to climb up the embankment and flag down a passerby who called 9-1-1. The two men were flown to Enloe Medical Center for treatment.

According to CHP, Taylor sustained a broken left leg, and Montgomery had moderate head lacerations.

The CHP report said the cause of the accident was distracted driving. Taylor became distracted while talking to passengers. The truck swerved off the road, but Taylor was unable to correct it.

No one was wearing a seat belt.

There was alcohol present in the vehicle, according to the CHP, "however alcohol does not appear to have been a factor in the accident," the report said.